Mossberg 500 - Turkey/Grand Slam Turkey without porting?

[allank]

I am a lefty shooter buying my first shotgun for primarily turkey hunting and and secondarily for HD, although based on shell count fired many more rounds will be fired at the range. I've no interest at all in upland birds, and any clays would be just for fun/practice with the turkey gun. I've settled on a Mossberg 500 12g since 3" is fine for my needs. I'm looking at a Turkey model 52270 or Grand Slam Turkey model 52262 (55166 and 52263 are just different camo). Both are listed as 'ported' - the Turkey is "xx-full" and the Grand Slam Turkey is "x-factor ported turkey tube". My reading suggests the general opinion about porting is it just makes it harder to clean and gives a louder and brighter muzzle blast.

Several questions:

• Is porting more just marketing, making it harder to clean and louder/brighter to shoot?
• Are the chokes in either of these shotguns removeable and replaceable with non-ported Mossberg chokes? I read that in general many shorter barrels do not have removeable chokes. I cannot figure out if either or both shotguns have removeable chokes.
• Does the barrel length (Turkey is 24", Grand Slam Turkey is 20") include the length of a removeable ported choke tube? If yes would removing the supplied choke and replacing it with a non-ported tube (which is presumably shorter) cause the barrel length to be less than 18.5"
• Anything else I should be asking but havent?

Thanks

 

[natman]

The choke tube is ported. You can easily remove it and replace it with any choke tube you like, although most turkey chokes these days are ported. There's a good selection of tubes for the 500.

I'd suggest that you treat the problem by getting a set of electronic muffs. I use these. Even without a ported choke, the blast from a shotgun barrel is pretty darn loud.

Don't worry about the flash. Even if you give away your position, the turkeys won't return fire.

 

[allank]

Thanks Nate. Being new to shotguns I was finding some of this confusing. I already use electronic muffs for deer hunting.

 

[natman]

Correction: on the 24" models the barrel is indeed ported. On the 20" models the choke tube is ported.

I'd go with the 20". I have a 52263, the Realtree camo version and I think it's just about a perfect turkey gun.

The length quoted is to the end of the barrel. The extended choke tube is extra length.

 

[allank]

Appreciate the clarification. I was wanting the 20" anyway, so perfect.